Essentials of Maoism 16: Proletarian Intersectionality

#dankeykang #communism #maoism

In this episode we discuss the concept of proletarian intersectionality, contrasting it with bourgeois intersectionality. We criticize and highlight both liberal and conservative identity opportunism and the reactionary tailism of the right-opportunists within the Marxist community.

Timestamps:
00:00-01:05 What is Proletarian Intersectionality?
01:05-01:19 Class Essentialism
01:19-03:34 The Limits of Bourgeois Intersectionality
03:34-05:54 Liberal Identity Opportunism
05:54-06:48 Conservative Identity Opportunism
06:48-07:24 How Liberal ID-pol Strengthens Capitalism
07:24-08:54 The Dangers of Ignoring ID-pol
08:54-09:45 How to Reach the Reactionary Masses
09:45-10:30 Right Opportunism and "Anti Wokeness"
10:30-12:00 Communists Must Re-capture Wokeness
12:00-13:20 Oppose Liberalism, MAGA, and Right-opportunism
13:20-14:02 Review

Further Resources:

[tearsofchronus]

As a trans ML I think you broke this down phenomenally in dialectical terms. You're doing incredible work on this channel for helping unify the class struggle by using all aspects of it as a rising tide. Keep 'em coming~

[chayabat-tzvi]

The main issue with liberal identity politics is that it works fully within the logic of neoliberal capitalism: one's identity becomes their brand, the same way corporations have a brand, and their goal is now to defend their brand against everyone else's brand. People in leftist spaces compete with each other for "transgression points" to see who's identity is the most "threatening" to the status quo, not through their actions but simply by existing. People put all of their energies towards mapping out themselves and the ways in which they're vulnerable (hence all the identity labels you see in people's Twitter bios) rather than organizing with others under a common mission.

[sjnok]

Dankey, You've really outdone yourself with this series. absolutely amazing stuff <3

[slipknotboy]

Great video, completely agree (it's just the truth). It should also be noted that, even in the relatively reactionary US, *most* people are not far right. *Most* people are not MAGAts, fascists, etc. Which already demonstrates (among a host of other reasons, some mentioned here) part of why it makes no sense to focus on them (i.e., to try to cater to them), let alone tail them.

There's also the fact that people like Caleb Maupin are straight up fans of LaRouche - demonstrating they're not actual communists (how is it not suspicious to some that these "leftists" are a fan of a man who admitted himself to trying to destroy the left from within?). And people like Jackson Hinkle, who claim communists don't want to get rid of private property. These people are grifters and wreckers. And seem to just be fascists. Most of us here likely realize this, but somehow they've apparently "fooled" some people.

[Zinc-]

Just curious, what happened to the initial upload?

[fitriroslan]

"Anti-religious" you mean Anti-religious bigotry"

[comrademartinofrappuccino]

Workers of the comment section, i need some help.
Where cam i find texts online abput proletarian intersectionality? I am looking for articles/books about this topic in general

[blessedandbiwithahintofmagic]

I really like the term 'identity opportunism' rather than calling liberal progressivism that does not go to the fundamental conflict, that class is the ultimate force on which people are oppressed, 'identity politics', which sounds so reactionary - we want to understand and fight for all oppressed identities; we do not want identity to be co-opted and used as a way of spreading neoliberalism, or imperialism, or any other oppressive force in the world.

[B_Estes_Undegöetz]

First video I’ve watched from your channel. Thanks for the superior analysis. I kind of missed hearing mention made of the material economic base in which class exists and the cultural superstructure in which identity exists which I’m accustomed to hearing in the M-L analysis.

It’s also the first time I’ve heard “intersectionality” referred to outside the typical liberal postmodern discussions I’m used to hearing it. It’s accurate of course when predicated with “Maoist” or “Marxist-Leninist” I just wonder how loaded with preconceptions the word “intersectionality” is already burdened with … s well the perception that the concept is the property of an already existing intellectual community that isn’t Marxist, Maoist or even materialist … so it might not be better perhaps to create a new one?

But what do I know?

Thanks again. Superb! I’m off to check out another right now!!!

[pierren___]

You cant use the divisions created by the bourgeoisie to overthrow the bourgeoisie.
You have to drop water on fire.

[muha]

10:33 80% of communists aren't though.... We are quite religious in fact (but not reactionary, we want a secular state after all)!

[kawaiiandnothigh]

is there a transcript for this video? :)

[tymanung]

Your view on proletarian intersection
seems similar to Professor Nancy Fraser's idea of expanded view of working class--- exploited--- relatively
well paid, legal, regularly employed
workers
appropriated---- poorly or not paid. often
non or il legal, often irregularly employed
more often semi or unemployed
care? or ? --- many unpaid,
some employed. reproduction--- psychological, nutritional, minor medical. etc. essential.
support for 1st 2 groups (+ for self).

[eve]

So I'm kind of struggling with understanding this video's content & what to take away from it (love the series by the way).

IDK if you're going to cover this in your fascism section or what, ... You use terms like woke & anti-woke in terms of the 2 political parties in USA as opposed to prison pipelines & police brutality, and so a lot of this video confused me. Like woke refers to being socially conscious especially about the police's lack of accountability over police brutality & the prison pipelines. Anti-woke took this meaning & turned "woke" into a euphemism for the nazi term untermenschen (often using the cops' sheepdog/sheep/wolf narrative). To clarify the school to prison pipeline targets the poor, the disabled, the people of color, and the tgnciq+ (trans, gender nonconforming, intersex, queer, etc).

[tymanung]

Vladimir Lenin said that someone asked
the Bolshevik Party why its no. of members was too small---why not
appeal to most popular ideas. He
retorted that the Bolshevik would then
have to (crazily) preach anti Semitism !!

[parasthesia]

This video is awful. Why do you keep using the term "oppressed identity"? What is an identity? Is it some label you apply to yourself? What is the basis for this oppression of "identities"? How is race, sexual orientation, education, ability, or legal status an identity? If you claim these things to be "identity" then it negates the correct idea that the material only develops through leaps fueled by the motion of contradiction. How is race an identity? What if a black man no longer "identifies" as black? Is he no longer black? Is a gay man no longer gay if he identifies as straight? If you can "identify" as educated at one point and then suddenly decide you no longer identify as educated, what is true? Marxists don't analyze material reality through "identity" and words, which aren't an objective expression of material reality but rather an expression of thought, which can not suffice as a method of analysis